Pavement Whispers: Volume 354 April 19
From news of DINE BNE City’s month-long program of epicurean experiences to Spring Hill’s newly open home of Cajun-inspired seafood boils, The Weekend Edition is always on the search for the latest food news in Brisbane, dedicated to ensuring its readers are in the know. When we put our ears to the pavement this week, this is what we found out …
DINE BNE City
Calling all food-loving citizens of Brisbane – get ready to loosen your belts and purse strings, as DINE BNE City is set to make a triumphant return for 2022. For nearly an entire month, from May 1–29, more than 65 of The City’s best dining and drinking venues will serve up a host of exclusive epicurean offers, including mouth-watering deals for lunch, dinner, drinks and some super special events. Diners are encouraged to leave their meal prep at home and swap al-desko eating for some better afternoon nosh with DINE BNE City’s Let’s Do Lunch program, which will include a swag of dynamo deals like duck confit and a glass of wine for $35 at Banc Brasserie & Wine Bar, a serve of beef-and-pork ragu, focaccia and house-made cannoli for $35 at Persone, and a taco, lunch bowl and drink of your choice for $25 at Cheeky Poké Bar. Seeking a post-work tipple? Bar Safari will see The City’s best nosheries and drinking spots dishing up snacks and sips for a steal, including half-a-dozen freshly shucked rock oysters with a glass of Perrier-Jouet Blason de France Rose Champagne for $45 at Rothwell’s Bar & Grill, a tapas flight and a drink for $35 at The Boom Boom Room, and a hearty antipasto board with glass of prosecco for $30 at Isles Lane. After sunset, kitchens across The City will heat up for Supper Club, which will showcase a range of curated culinary experiences like an 18-course Brazilian degustation at Navala Churrascaria, an ultra-luxe feast at Brisbane Phoenix and a petit five-course banquet at Donna Chang. Finally, DINE BNE City’s program features a range of special one-off events that are a must-attend for any serious foodie. We’re talking Pasta Mama’s ever-changing pop-up Pasta Club at COPPA Spuntino (complete with a curated playlist of disco hits), special chef’s table experiences at Walter’s Steakhouse & Wine Bar and Naga Thai, and the return of the Urban Cocktail Trail and Urban Wine Walk. Are you ready for four weeks of food? If the answer is a resounding yes, head to the DINE BNE City website to check out the loaded program.
Old Monk Modern Indian
India on a plate, tweaked for Brisbane tastes. That’s the modus operandi of Old Monk Modern Indian, a soon-to-open restaurant nestled on Baroona Road on the cusp of Paddington and Rosalie. The owners of Old Monk are looking to fill a gap in the local market with a funkier form of contemporary Indian chow, enhancing a traditional regional-inspired foundation with unconventional twists and a sharp focus on presentation. This ethos will manifest in the form of dishes like aromatic ajwaini fish tikka, Joyful Flavour Balls (small, crispy puffed breads filled with boiled potato and chickpeas, topped with yoghurt and chutney), northern India-inspired slow-cooked goat on the bone with onion and tomato masala, lamb shank korma with creamy cashew sauce, and vegan butter chicken. The menu will feature a mixture of small and large dishes that are purposefully designed to mix and match. Old Monk will be BYO-friendly upon opening, but once a liquor licence is obtained expect the 50-seater venue to serve a range of Indian-themed cocktails. Old Monk Modern Indian is on track to open in the coming weeks – keep your eyes peeled for an up-close look soon.
Kickin’Inn
Spring Hill scored a new eatery just before the Easter long weekend kicked off, with fast-casual concept Kickin’Inn bringing its form of Cajun-inspired cuisine to town with its first Brisbane location at the base of The Johnson Hotel on Boundary Street. The concept, which launched in 2018 and already boasts locations across New South Wales and Victoria, gives guests the chance to tuck into a sizeable seafood boil, much like the kind popularised in Louisiana. Kickin’Inn’s menu sees all sorts of seafood cooked in a selection of sauces and spices – we’re talking the venue’s signature ‘Kajun’ sauce, garlic butter, lemon pepper or a mixture of all – before being dumped out of a bag onto the table in front of you. From there, diners don a pair of gloves and go to town on the spread, which can include everything from whole fresh prawns, mussels, bugs, blue swimmer crab, lobster and baby octopus, as well as slices of beef chorizo, potatoes and corn. Got some gaps to fill? A selection of starters offer tasty snacks like jalapeno cheese bites, chicken tenders, mozzarella sticks, tempura calamari and fries. Throw in a beverage menu loaded with boozy and alcohol-free sips and you’ve got all the makings of a good time. Kickin’Inn is now open seven days a week.
Pizzeria Violetta
Great news for Kenmore locals and fans of Pizzeria Violetta’s menu of Italian eats, the eatery’s Stefano Ferrara Forno woodfired pizza oven is reigniting today, Tuesday April 19, after a six-month hibernation period – now with a new chef at the helm. Vicenza-born pizzaiolo Mario Miljkovic is putting the skills honed across a 15-year culinary career (which includes stints at Sydney’s Rosso Pomodoro, Terrazza Pizzeria and Merivale Group’s The Newport) to the fore at his new posting, teaming up with 2IC Ajay Ghimire to execute Pizzeria Violetta’s beloved menu. Highlights include classic pizza options such as margherita and capricciosa, as well as Violetta signatures like the squid-topped Seppia and the Boscaiola, which comes crowned with sopressa, king oysters mushrooms and tomino cheese. Throw in quintessential appetisers such as glistening globs of burrata, woodfired ciabatta bread and fritto misto and you’ve got all the makings of an incredible Italian feast. Hit the Stumble Guide for booking info.
Noir
If you’ve sat at Given Terrace wine bar Noir (glass of something nice close at hand, naturally) and noticed a bit of action taking place behind the scenes, you’ve likely heard the work the crew is currently undertaking on a new function space. As anyone that has ventured to Noir on a Friday night will attest, the chic vino joint fills up quickly, making private events hard to execute. Well, soon that will change – the team has taken over a unit at the rear of the building and is hard at work converting it into a hireable space with killer views of the city. While the space won’t be used for general seating (you’ll still need to jostle for a spot during peak hours), the extra room will be used to host super-secret special dinners, with guest chefs taking over Noir’s new kitchen. We can’t share any more details on these events yet, but rest assured there will be more info to come.
If you’ve heard something that’s worth mentioning in The Weekend Edition’s Pavement Whispers, email [email protected].
The Stumble Guide is our comprehensive Brisbane dining guide with more than 2400 places to eat, drink, shop and play.